Stabilized-flame aerogas/oxygas burner and quarl block fitted with such a burner

ABSTRACT

Provided is a burner which includes a pipe having a free end region designed to be housed in a furnace quarl. The pipe includes one or more fuel feed ducts surrounded over part of their length by a sheath which defines an oxidizer feed channel and is fastened to a flange. A jacket is disposed around at least part of the length of the end region so as itself to be housed in the quarl and to define a feed channel for a second oxidizer between the jacket and the internal wall of the quarl; the jacket is fastened to a flange for securing to the quarl and the flange for the sheath is fastened to that for the jacket. The burner has particular applicability in industrial furnaces, especially for melting non-ferrous materials, for reheating or for annealing.

[0001] The present invention relates to aerogas/oxygas burners intended to be fitted into industrial furnaces, especially furnaces for melting, for example, non-ferrous metals (aluminium, copper, lead, etc.), reheat furnaces or annealing furnaces, or else intended for preheating ladles, and in general to burners intended for so-called “low temperature” melting or heating applications, that is to say, in such techniques, applications at a temperature lying within a range extending from approximately 500° C. to 1500° C.

[0002] The invention also relates to the quarl blocks fitted with such a burner.

[0003] To obtain optimum, uniform and economic heating requires the formation of a stable flame. The emission of nitrogen oxides, which are extremely harmful, also needs to be reduced.

[0004] Techniques are already known which aim to stabilize the flame in “aero” operation and/or to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides.

[0005] For example, document EP 0,644,374, which recommends rotating the injected air, describes a complex assembly of metal mechanical parts whose operation within the temperature range indicated above results in relatively rapid wear, requiring the worn parts to be periodically replaced.

[0006] Document EP 0,757,205 recommends the injection of a jet of air at an angle which takes this jet away from the first oxygen/gas combustion zone, thus creating a recirculation zone in a refractory block; the fact that the jet of air is forced to be away from the jet of oxygen is not generally something which makes it easy to obtain a stable flame; furthermore, it appears to be difficult to make a burner equipped in this way operate, as required, in oxygas mode or in air/gas mode.

[0007] Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,087 recommends the staging of the combustion, namely the creation of a fuel-rich first mixture followed by the injection of a second oxidizer into a second mixing zone. However, the range of working temperatures is markedly higher than that intended by the invention and the subject-matter of that document does not seem to lend itself to purely oxygas operation.

[0008] The object of the invention is to remedy the drawbacks of the known techniques and to create an aerogas/oxygas burner which produces a stable flame, is of simple construction, is reliable, has small dimensions and is capable of working, as required, either in oxygas mode or in virtually wholly air/gas mode.

[0009] For this purpose, the invention relates to an aerogas/oxygas burner comprising a pipe having a free end region designed to be housed in a quarl of an industrial furnace, this pipe having at least one fuel feed duct and a sheath surrounding the duct or ducts over part of their length in order to define an oxidizer feed channel between the sheath and this or these ducts, this sheath being fastened to a flange extending transversely around it, characterized in that a jacket is placed around at least part of the length of the free end region of the pipe so as itself to be housed in the quarl and to define a feed channel for a second oxidizer between the jacket and the inner surface of the quarl, this jacket being fastened to a flange for securing to the quarl extending transversely around the latter, and the flange for the sheath being fastened to the flange for the jacket.

[0010] By virtue of this structure, an aerogas/oxygas burner is obtained which is simple to manufacture, occupies little space and is easy to fit.

[0011] The burner may furthermore have one or more of the following characteristics:

[0012] each fuel feed duct comprises an injector provided at a free end of a rigid conduit, and the actual free end of which constitutes that of the duct;

[0013] the jacket is fitted around the sheath;

[0014] the jacket extends beyond the sheath, approximately so as to be in line with the free end of the fuel feed duct or ducts, in order to define, between the jacket and the ducts, an oxygen feed channel extending as far as this free end;

[0015] the jacket has a smaller cross section than that of the sheath starting from a region lying slightly beyond the free end of the latter;

[0016] the flange for the jacket carries studs for fastening the flange for the sheath;

[0017] the pipe has a longitudinal axis with respect to which the sheath is offcentred in order to leave, between it and the fuel feed duct or ducts, a wider space on one side in order to accommodate a tube for a flame control device and a pilot burner;

[0018] the sheath has a part of flared shape and one end of an oxygen feed tube emerges in this flared part;

[0019] the flange for the jacket has an opening in which one end of a feed tube for the second oxidizer emerges;

[0020] the velocity of the fuel in the fuel feed duct or ducts lies within a range of approximately 10 m/s to 180 m/s;

[0021] oxygen flows in the said oxidizer feed channel at a velocity at most equal to approximately 20 m/s and preferably equal to approximately 8 m/s; and

[0022] natural gas flows in the fuel feed duct or ducts with a total flow rate of approximately 50 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 30 m/s and oxygen flows in the said oxidizer feed channel with a flow rate of approximately 100 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 8.5 m/s.

[0023] The invention also relates to a quarl block fitted with a burner as defined above, characterized in that it comprises a quarl passing right through it and having an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber which are joined by a transition zone flared towards the inlet chamber, and the fuel feed duct or ducts of the pipe of the burner penetrate, from the inlet chamber, right into the outlet chamber.

[0024] The quarl block may also have one or more of the following characteristics:

[0025] in the case in which the outlet chamber is approximately cylindrical, the distance L between the free end of the fuel feed ducts and that end of the quarl located on the internal side of the furnace and the diameter d of the outlet chamber satisfy the relationship 0.3d≦L≦1.8d;

[0026] the inlet chamber is offcentred with respect to a longitudinal axis of the pipe and with respect to the outlet chamber and the transition zone, in order to leave a wider space between the inner surface of the quarl and the jacket allowing the introduction of the second oxidizer;

[0027] the said oxidizer feed channel is designed for an oxygen stream to flow in it, the said feed channel for a second oxidizer is designed for a stream of air to flow in it and the fuel feed duct or ducts are designed for a stream of natural gas to flow in them;

[0028] oxygen flows in the said oxidizer feed channel with a flow rate lying within a range going from approximately 1% to 5% of the total (oxygen, air and fuel) flow rate;

[0029] air flows in the said feed channel for a second oxidizer at a velocity at most equal to approximately 50 m/s and preferably equal to approximately 30 m/s;

[0030] natural gas flows in the fuel feed duct or ducts with a total flow rate of approximately 50 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 30 m/s, oxygen flows in the said oxidizer feed channel with a flow rate of approximately 50 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 4.25 m/s and air flows in the said feed channel for a second oxidizer with a flow rate of approximately 250 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 13.4 m/s; and

[0031] natural gas flows in the fuel feed duct or ducts with a total flow rate of approximately 50 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 30 m/s, oxygen flows in the said oxidizer feed channel with a flow rate of approximately 15 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 1.3 m/s and air flows in the said feed channel for a second oxidizer with a flow rate of approximately 427 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 23 m/s.

[0032] By virtue of these characteristics, it is also possible to obtain a highly stable flame.

[0033] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows of one embodiment of the invention given by way of non-limiting example and illustrated in the appended drawings in which:

[0034]FIG. 1 is a top view, partially cut away on the line I-I in FIG. 2, of one embodiment of the invention, in which certain elements visible in FIG. 2 have not been shown so as not to clutter up the drawing; and

[0035]FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line II-II in FIG. 1 of one embodiment of the invention, in which certain elements visible in FIG. 1 have not been shown so as not to clutter up the drawing.

[0036] The burner illustrated by the figures is an aerogas/oxygas burner comprising a pipe 1, one end region of which is housed in a quarl 2 hollowed out in a quarl block 3 extending in an outer wall of an industrial furnace and passing right through this block 3.

[0037] The quarl has, going from the inside towards the outside of the furnace, three main zones: an outlet chamber 4 (which is cylindrical in this case) having, for example a length of about twenty centimeters and a height (in this case a diameter) of about ten centimeters, a zone 5 flared towards the outside of the furnace (in this case frustoconical), having a length of about ten centimeters, and an inlet chamber 6 joined by the flared zone to the outlet chamber, having a length of about ten centimeters, and the geometry of which will be specified below.

[0038] In a known manner, the outlet chamber 4 of the quarl emerges in the furnace via a short flaring of rounded shape; the small diameter of the flared zone is approximately equal to the diameter of the outlet chamber.

[0039] The pipe 1 comprises one or more (in this case, three) fuel feed ducts 7, for example for natural gas. These feed ducts consist of rigid conduits 8 whose free end is fitted with a nozzle or with an injector 9; the three ducts 7 are distributed, in cross section, at 120° about a longitudinal axis of the pipe. They penetrate the quarl from the inlet chamber 6 as far as the outlet chamber 4, to a depth here which is slightly greater than about twenty centimeters if the block 3 has a thickness of about forty centimeters. Additional information in this regard will be given later.

[0040] The pipe 1 also includes a metal sheath or collar 10 surrounding the fuel feed ducts 7 over a part of their length in order to define, between it and the ducts, an oxygen feed channel 11 for feeding the oxygen forming the oxidizer for the burner into the quarl. Fastened to this sheath 10 is a flange 12 extending transversely around it. In the case of known oxygas burners, the sheath 10 penetrates the inlet chamber to a depth of only a few centimeters and its flange 12 is fastened to the quarl block 3 of the furnace in that zone of the latter which surrounds the quarl 2, for example by means of studs, one end of which is embedded in the block and an outwardly projecting threaded part of which, passing through the flange, is designed to take at least one nut. Beyond the sheath, towards the inside of the furnace, the oxygen feed channel is then defined between the internal surface of the quarl and the ducts 7.

[0041] However, here, fitted around the sheath 10 is a metal jacket 13 extending towards the inside of the furnace beyond the sheath, in this case as far as approximately in line with the free end of the ducts 7 so that, as far as this free end, the oxygen feed channel is defined between the jacket 13 and the ducts; the jacket 13 has a smaller cross section than that of the sheath 10 starting from a region lying slightly beyond the free end of the latter located in the inlet chamber. Since the cross-sectional dimensions of the quarl 2 are greater than those of the jacket 13 over the entire length of the latter, an additional channel is defined between the internal surface of the quarl and the jacket. This channel is used for feeding a second oxidizer, namely air, into the outlet chamber of the quarl. Fastened to the jacket 13 is a flange 14 extending transversely around it. In fact, here, it is not the flange 12 for the sheath that is fastened to the block 3 in that zone of the latter surrounding the quarl, but the flange 14 for the jacket forming the partition between the oxygen feed channel and the air feed channel. The flange 14 for the jacket is therefore fastened to the block, for example by means of studs 15, one end of which is embedded in the block 3 and an outwardly projecting threaded part of which, passing through this flange, is designed to take at least one nut. The flange for the jacket 13 itself has studs 16, an outwardly projecting threaded part of which passes through the flange 12 for the sheath in order to take at least one nut, so as to secure the two flanges 12, 14 together. Seals may be interposed between the block 3 and the flange 14 for the jacket and between the flange 14 for the jacket and the flange 12 for the sheath, respectively.

[0042] As may be seen in the figures, the longitudinal axis of the pipe 1, defined above as being the axis around which the fuel feed ducts 7 are distributed, is centred in the outlet chamber 4 and in the flared transition zone 5 between the outlet chamber 4 and the inlet chamber 6 of the quarl, but the sheath 10 is offcentred with respect to this axis in order to leave, between it and the fuel feed ducts, a wider space on one side, in which space lie, on the one hand, a tube 17 belonging to a flame control device allowing control from outside the furnace, which is visible in FIG. 1 but is not shown in FIG. 2, and, on the other hand, a pilot burner 18, the free end of which emerges near that of the fuel feed ducts 7, which is visible in FIG. 2 but is not shown in FIG. 1; the jacket 13 has a recess 19 converging towards the longitudinal axis of the pipe towards the inside of the furnace in order to provide a passage for the pilot burner 18 and to house it. Outside the block 3, the sheath has a part which is flared in the opposite direction to the block and one end of an oxygen feed tube 20 emerges in this flared part on the same side as the wider space left by the offcentring, the opposite end of which oxygen feed tube 20 is provided with a fastening flange 21 for a corresponding flange on an oxygen feed line; the tube 20 lies, outside the sheath 10, approximately at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the pipe. The fuel feed ducts 7 are connected, inside the sheath 10, to a fuel feed tube 22 lying along and centred on the longitudinal axis of the pipe and intended to be itself connected to a fuel feed line.

[0043] The inlet chamber 6 of the quarl is itself offcentred with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pipe 1 and thus with respect to the outlet chamber 4 and the transition zone 5 in order to leave, between the internal surface of the quarl and the jacket 13, a wider space in order to allow the introduction of air. For this purpose, the flange 14 for the jacket has, in its region covering this wider space, an opening 23 in which one end of an air feed tube 24 emerges, only a short section of which tube 24 is shown in FIG. 2; this tube 24 is bent at a right angle and its opposite end is provided with a fastening flange 25 for a corresponding flange on an air feed line.

[0044] This burner according to the invention, which results from the addition, to a known oxygas burner, of an “aero” part which is housed in the quarl block 2 and has a metal jacket 13 and a flange 14 for fastening to this block, the flange 12 for the collar 10 of the known burner being itself fastened to that for the jacket 13, offers various possible ways of stabilizing the flame.

[0045] A first way, in “aero” operation, consists in delivering oxygen at a flow rate lying within a range of approximately 1% to 5%, preferably approximately 3%, of the total flow rate entering the outlet chamber of the quarl.

[0046] Another way consists in placing the free end of the fuel feed ducts 7, in this case the end of the injectors 9, relatively close to that end of the quarl 2 which is located on the inside of the furnace. When the outlet chamber 4 is approximately cylindrical, if L is the distance between this free end and that end of the quarl and d is the diameter of the outlet chamber of the quarl, it is estimated that this condition is fulfilled if 0.3d≦L≦1.8d.

[0047] The velocity of the fuel, for example natural gas, lies approximately within the range from 10 m/s to 180 m/s, depending on the maximum power desired.

[0048] The velocity of the oxygen is at most equal to approximately 20 m/s, preferably approximately 8 m/s.

[0049] The velocity of the air is at most equal to approximately 50 m/s, preferably approximately 30 m/s.

[0050] Under these conditions, it is not necessary to make the air swirl or to inject divergent jets of air. Much more simply, the invention allows a flame to be created from a fuel and from one or two oxidizers that are injected in the same direction, more specifically in this case coaxially.

[0051] The drawings correspond to a burner having a unit power of about 500 kW by virtue of the combustion of approximately 50 Sm³/h of natural gas with either approximately 100 Sm³/h of oxygen or a maximum of approximately 500 Sm³/h of air and, optionally, a flow rate of pure oxygen lying within a range of approximately 2% to 5%.

[0052] Various examples of the operation of this burner are illustrated by the table below, for a power of 500 kW and a flow rate of natural gas of 50 Sm³/h at a velocity of 30 m/s. Air flow Oxygen Air Oxygen rate flow rate velocity velocity Sm³/h Sm³/h m/s m/s All oxygen 0 100 0 8.5 Mixed 250 50 13.4 4.25 All air 427 15 23 1.3 (almost)

[0053] Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and illustrated above and it would be possible to provide other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. 

1. Aerogas/oxygas burner comprising a pipe (1) having a free end region designed to be housed in a quarl (2) of an industrial furnace, this pipe having at least one fuel feed duct (7) and a sheath (10) surrounding the duct or ducts (7) over part of their length in order to define an oxidizer feed channel (11) between the sheath and this or these ducts, this sheath (10) being fastened to a flange (12) extending transversely around it, characterized in that a jacket (13) is placed around at least part of the length of the free end region of the pipe (1) so as itself to be housed in the quarl (2) and to define a feed channel for a second oxidizer between the jacket (13) and the inner surface of the quarl (2), this jacket (13) being fastened to a flange (14) for securing to the quarl (2) extending transversely around the latter, and the flange (12) for the sheath being fastened to the flange (14) for the jacket.
 2. Burner according to claim 1, characterized in that each fuel feed duct (7) comprises an injector (9) provided at a free end of a rigid conduit (8) and the actual free end of which constitutes the end of the duct.
 3. Burner according to either of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the jacket (13) is fitted around the sheath (10).
 4. Burner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the jacket (13) extends beyond the sheath (10), approximately so as to be in line with the free end of the fuel feed duct or ducts (7), in order to define, between the jacket and the ducts, an oxygen feed channel extending as far as this free end.
 5. Burner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the jacket (13) has a smaller cross section than that of the sheath (10) starting from a region lying slightly beyond the free end of the latter.
 6. Burner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the flange (14) for the jacket carries studs (16) for fastening the flange (12) for the sheath.
 7. Burner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the pipe (1) has a longitudinal axis with respect to which the sheath (10) is offcentred in order to leave, between it and the fuel feed duct or ducts (7), a wider space on one side in order to accommodate a tube (17) for a flame control device and a pilot burner (18).
 8. Burner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the sheath (10) has a part of flared shape and one end of an oxygen feed tube (20) emerges in this flared part.
 9. Burner according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the flange (14) for the jacket (13) has an opening (23) in which one end of a feed tube (24) for the second oxidizer emerges.
 10. Burner according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the velocity of the fuel in the fuel feed duct or ducts (17) lies within a range of approximately 10 m/s to 180 m/s.
 11. Burner according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that oxygen flows in the said oxidizer feed channel at a velocity at most equal to approximately 20 m/s and preferably equal to approximately 8 m/s.
 12. Burner according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that natural gas flows through the fuel feed duct or ducts (7) with a total flow rate of approximately 50 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 30 m/s and oxygen flows in the said oxidizer feed channel with a flow rate of approximately 100 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 8.5 m/s.
 13. Quarl block fitted with a burner according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it comprises a quarl (2) passing right through it and having an inlet chamber (6) and an outlet chamber (4) which are joined by a transition zone (5) flared towards the inlet chamber, and the fuel feed duct or ducts (7) of the pipe (1) of the burner penetrate, from the inlet chamber, right into the outlet chamber.
 14. Quarl block according to claim 13, characterized in that, in the case in which the outlet chamber (4) is approximately cylindrical, the distance L between the free end of the fuel feed ducts (7) and that end of the quarl located on the internal side of the furnace and the diameter d of the outlet chamber (4) satisfy the relationship 0.3d≦L≦1.8d.
 15. Quarl block according to either of claims 13 and 14, characterized in that the inlet chamber (6) is offcentred with respect to a longitudinal axis of the pipe (1) and with respect to the outlet chamber (4) and the transition zone (5), in order to leave a wider space between the inner surface of the quarl (2) and the jacket (13) allowing the introduction of the second oxidizer.
 16. Quarl block according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the said oxidizer feed channel is designed for an oxygen stream to flow in it, the said feed channel for a second oxidizer is designed for a stream of air to flow in it and the fuel feed duct or ducts (7) are designed for a stream of natural gas to flow in them.
 17. Quarl block according to any one of claims 13 to 16, fitted with a burner according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that oxygen flows in the said oxidizer feed channel with a flow rate lying within a range going from approximately 1% to 5% of the total, (oxygen, air and fuel) flow rate.
 18. Quarl block according to any one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that air flows in the said feed channel for a second oxidizer at a velocity at most equal to approximately 50 m/s and preferably equal to approximately 30 m/s.
 19. Quarl block according to any one of claims 13 to 16, fitted with a burner according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that natural gas flows in the fuel feed duct or ducts (7) with a total flow rate of approximately 50 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 30 m/s, oxygen flows in the said oxidizer feed channel with a flow rate of approximately 50 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 4.25 m/s and air flows in the said feed channel for a second oxidizer with a flow rate of approximately 250 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 13.4 m/s.
 20. Quarl block according to any one of claims 13 to 18, fitted with a burner according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that natural gas flows in the fuel feed duct or ducts (7) with a total flow rate of approximately 50 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 30 m/s, oxygen flows in the said oxidizer feed channel with a flow rate of approximately 15 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 1.3 m/s and air flows in the said feed channel for a second oxidizer with a flow rate of approximately 427 Sm³/h and at a velocity of approximately 23 m/s. 